Liveaboard Trip Recommendations for Instructors

[Originunkn0wn]

Hello Community,

My girlfriend and I are both experienced Instructors closing in on 1000 dives each. We are heading to Bali for a vacation in mid June.

We are wondering what the community recommends for a great diving trip (live-aboard) in Indonesia. We have of course heard great things about Komodo islands, but are a little cautious that this may just be good marketing.

In addition, we are looking for more budget to mid range live-aboard tours, since working as dive instructors allows us an amazing life, it leaves very modest coin in the bank.

We have been doing some searching on the Internet, but would really like to hear what the community here would recommend as a quality trip.

We enjoy many different types of diving, from wreck, to tech, and shallow reef dives as well as shark dives.

Our current experience in diving is mainly from Thailand, Malaysia, and at the moment working on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. We have also dived cold water in California and Canada. We are looking to really enjoy quality diving expand on our diving diversity.

Thanking all for your suggestions in advance, is is very appreciated!!

 

[highdesert]

If you're going to Bali, certainly the Tulamben area on the NE coast of the island is going to be your most cost-effective high quality diving. You could access this from a liveaboard, but most of it is close-in shore diving ... far fewer $$$ out of your pocket. Check out Package 2 here ... the included transportation makes this a good deal. If you don't want a guide, maybe you could bargain the price down ...

SPECIAL OFFERS

If you want a cost-effective liveaboard going to a good destination, you can dive Komodo from a liveaboard originating in Bali. Or you can fly (about one hour, $200 round trip) to Labuan Bajo, near Komodo, and step aboard a boat there. Komodo is sort of a mini Raja Ampat ... macro to pelagics with healthy reefs thrown in, in a compact area. Definitely more than marketing hype. There are lots of boats servicing Komodo. Here is one reliable company that has two "standard class" boats in Komodo in June, and both boats have space available.

Grand Komodo Liveaboard Diving Itineraries, Schedules and Prices

Enjoy!

 

[ScubaduoAdventures]

People probably thought that the Grand Canyon was a marketing ploy until they saw it and went WOW!!!
That is what most people do with there regulators falling out of there mouths on dives in Komodo and you will probably be challenged even as instructors diving there in some of its currents. when we get diving there our adrenalin is just pumping and we say to ourselves this why we dive!!!
We may think that Raja Ampat and Borneo Indonesia are even better but not by much and they will cost you more to dive, if you have a chance to dice Komodo you should do it Bali diving is very nice but Komodo is better.
You should use the link above that highdesert supplied as grand Komodo tours offers some of your best priced options and though not luxurious ther boats are comfy and guides are good.

 

[broadreach]

Are you stuck on the idea of a liveaboard?
I think that you might be able to get some high quality land-based diving for less money (including in Komodo - out of Labuan Bajo)

How long is your vacation? If you have a lot of time and less money you could take Pelni ships instead of flying to some of the remote parts that offer great land-based diving. I'm thinking Alor or Banda.

 

[Bredman]

I agree with most everything Scubaduo said, except the font.

Komodo is IMO the best budget diving in the world, and you can find currents that will challenge the most technical of instructors and critters that will interest the most jaded of searchers. At risk of sounding like the marketing crowd, the place is not to be missed.

 

[JB]

Nusa Penida is a day trip from Bali, and brilliant. I think, however, in order to see the Mola Mola's, you need to be based on the Island and get down first in the a.m. in order to scare them off for the day trippers from Bali. (Just moaning 'cos I missed them, on a day trip.)
The day trip can include Manta point, but experience tells me a sure way to not see an animal is to name a spot after it.
Envious, believe Komodo is all it's cracked up to be, especially some of the smaller Islands just South of it, or so I've been told.

 

[InDaWata]

I agree with JB, most "Manta Points" are more like "Parrotfish Harbour" or "Clownfish bay"...

However I've been to Manta Point off of Nusa Penida three times, and always seen mantas there!

 

[divemonkey12]

I did 1 day trip to Nusa Penida for the Mola Mola, dive 1 was a bit dull, average reef with nothing big. We went to Manta point and saw about 6 or 7 Mantas together. Went back for a Mola Mola in crystal bay end of the day and found one at 30m which came up to 10m, with around 40mins just swimming with it.

A great diving location, out of the way is in South Sulawesi, Wakatobi, some amazing critters, very healthy reefs (mostly), and the chance for big pelagics. Silvertrip sharks, hammerheads.

Check out Wasage Divers - Home

 

[whalesharkgaz]

Thankfully Komodo lives up to the hype, especially if you want a great mixt of black sand muck diving, pinnacles and ripping currents with plenty of big stuff, ....Definitely deals to be had from Labuan Bajo and Bali, if you are able to hang around for a while waiting...you can day do excellent day dives from both Bali and Labuan Bajo whilst waiting for a trip